25 Days of Ficmas
by timelords-wizards-winchesters
Summary: A collection of Doctor/Rose goodness for the holidays. I'm aiming to post once a day until Christmas! A mix of canon-compliant and AU ficlets, with various Doctors and Rose.
1. Chapter 1

_This is the first time I'm doing a challenge like this, so I hope you all like it! The prompt for this chapter was "mistletoe". Leave prompts in the reviews if there's anything you'd like to see over the next 25 days! I've got about ten more spots to fill on my prompt list._

 _/_

The Doctor was startled, to say the least, the day he walked into the console room and discovered the time rotor wrapped in fairy lights. His jaw dropped slightly and his brow furrowed as he looked around the room – the support struts were wrapped in garland and string lights, baubles dangling from the high coral branches.

"What in Rassilon's name…?" he grumbled to himself, looking up at the ceiling in question. The TARDIS just happily hummed at him, delighted to be all dressed up. The Doctor opened his mouth to respond to his ship, but stopped when he heard a sound. A stifled giggle, from across the room, but it still caught his attention.

"That's taking it a bit far, don't ya think, Jack?" Rose said.

"Aw, come on, Rosie, it's just a bit of holiday fun."

"Okay, okay," Rose said, breaking out into full gales of laughter.

The Doctor crossed the room to watch his companions, who remained unaware of his presence. He leaned against the console, crossing his arms with an amused smile.

Jack was smirking as he busily attached a bunch of mistletoe to the top of the TARDIS doors. He stood on top of a ladder, held in place by Rose, who was grinning brightly, her eyes sparkling as they reflected the fairy lights that lit up the room.

"What's going on here, then?" the Doctor asked loudly, startling Jack, who yelped and fell backward off the ladder. Rose looked up in surprise, smiling at the Doctor with her tongue in her teeth.

"We're decorating for Christmas," she said, folding her hands in front of her, the picture of innocence.

"I gathered that much," the Doctor said. "Wreaking havoc in my console room."

"Ow," Jack groaned from the floor.

"All right there, Harkness?" the Doctor asked him, rather amused by the whole situation.

"Wonderful," he muttered, picking himself up off the ground and brushing himself off.

"The TARDIS likes it," Rose said matter-of-factly. The ship flickered her lights in agreement. "See?"

Jack held up the mistletoe that he hadn't gotten the opportunity to properly fasten to the door.

"We're getting into the spirit, Doc. It's Christmas!"

"We're in a time machine," the Doctor pointed out.

"Don't even, mister. I've been keeping track with my Earth calendar. It's December first!" Rose said.

"Rose…"

"We've been working really hard, all morning," Jack said.

"And it looks so beautiful in here with all the lights…" Rose continued.

They looked at him hopefully, and the Doctor shook his head and threw up his arms in surrender.

"Fine," he grumbled. "But I'm not helping. And _no mistletoe_ , Harkness."

"Aw, Doc…"

"Are you sure, Doctor?" Rose teased. She took the plant from Jack and waved it in the Doctor's face. "Could be fun."

If the Doctor were human, he would have blushed. Instead, he stared at her blankly, his mouth opening and closing with no words coming out. Rose stepped closer to him, holding the mistletoe higher, so it was just above their heads. He heard Jack snickering, but all he could focus on was Rose's mouth as she leaned closer to him.

She pressed a quick kiss to his cheek before she giggled and backed away. She tossed the mistletoe back to Jack and darted out of the room.

"Come on!" she called back. "We've got to do the library next – I saw some stockings earlier, we could hang them above the fireplace!"

Jack grinned at the Doctor, who still looked rather shell-shocked as he stared after Rose's retreating form.

"Still want me to get rid of the mistletoe, Doc?"

He laughed when the Doctor scowled at him.


	2. Chapter 2

"Come on, James, please?"

James sighed rubbed his eyes.

"Rose…"

"Oh, come on, it'll be fun!" his best friend insisted, tugging on the sleeve of his Christmas jumper.

"Why don't you go with Mickey, or Jack?"

"Because I want to do it with _you_ , you're my best mate, James!"

"Yeah, Doc, go on," Jack laughed. "It's two days to Christmas! Get in the spirit! I won't even take a video or anything, I promise."

"Martha, please tell me you're on my side, here," James pleaded, but his colleague shook her head.

"Don't be such a Scrooge," she said, grinning at him. "It's just a bit of Christmas karaoke."

"Yeah, Spaceman – a little song and dance won't kill ya," Donna added.

James glanced around the table – Jack and Mickey were smirking at him; Martha and Donna were looking at him expectantly. He glanced back at Rose, her expression hopeful as she bit her lip and watched him with her best doe-eyes, and he couldn't say no to her, damn it. He heaved a dramatic sigh, secretly loving the way her eyes brightened.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," he muttered, and Rose cheered.

"Yes! Yes! Let's go!"

She grabbed him by the hand and dragged him up to the karaoke booth where they were handed microphones. They shuffled onto the small pub stage. James winced under the bright lights, and though he couldn't make out much, he was sure he heard Jack laughing. He was sure that his roommate was not keeping his promise, about to record the impending karaoke disaster.

But when he looked over at Rose, she was beaming at him, the light glinting off her golden hair, and he decided he didn't care if he made a fool of himself, as long as he was doing it with his best friend.

The opening notes to "Baby It's Cold Outside" filtered through the speakers, and she started to sing.

They weren't awful – Rose was quite a singer, he had always known that, but performing was certainly not his own forte. He sang along with her anyway, slightly off key, making faces at her and grinning when she laughed her way through her own part.

She danced along, rather awfully, and teased him as she sang her lines, running a finger down the center of his chest. He held back a shiver and tossed it right back in her face, grabbing her waist from behind and singing into her ear. She flushed beautifully and he smiled victoriously.

As they sang the last lines in unison, he spun her around. Her delightful giggle rang through the air and she threw her arms around his neck in a hug.

He heard the whooping and cheering from their friends when the instrumental ended, and it tore him from the moment – he'd forgotten they were on stage, in the midst of everything, but then he was too distracted to turn and scowl at them, because Rose was pressing a kiss to his cheek, just millimeters from the corner of his mouth, and his heart stuttered in his chest.

"Thank you, James," she said, her cheeks flushed. He smiled.

"Merry Christmas, Rose."


	3. Chapter 3

_This one wasn't really inspired by a prompt, it was just something that I was inspired to write when I was helping my younger cousins write to Santa. It's one of my favorites that I've written so far, so I really hope you like it! I'm still taking prompts as well, so if there's anything you'd like to say, leave a review._

/

It was after dinnertime when Rose stumbled into the Tyler Mansion, ready to collapse with exhaustion. She unzipped her blue leather jacket as she entered the kitchen, tossing it on a chair. Jackie sat at the kitchen table, and she glanced up from her gossip magazine when her daughter walked in.

Rose mumbled a tired "hello" to her mother, and then nearly had a heart attack and tripped over her little brother, who was sprawled out on the floor, scribbling on a blank sheet of paper with a green crayon. A discarded coloring book was shoved off out of his way, and he stared at the blank paper, his brow furrowed with concentration as he carefully traced out letters.

"Blimey, Tony, what are you doing on the floor?"

"Writing to Father Christmas," he said, and Rose could just make out the words _Dear Father Christmas_ as he looked up proudly, gesturing at his work. The letters were messy, but he'd gotten the shapes mostly right. Rose smiled encouragingly.

"That's really nice."

"What do I ask for?"

"What do you want?"

"I don't know," Tony sighed, frowning at the blank page.

"'M sure you'll figure it out, Tony," Rose said. She bent down and ruffled his hair before shuffling over to the fridge, mindful of the crayons scattered on the floor. She opened the door and took out some yogurt, grabbed a spoon from a nearby drawer, and plopped down at the table across from her mother.

"You missed dinner again, Rose," Jackie said gently. "You need to take care of yourself."

"'M sorry, Mum," Rose said, stirring her yogurt around without taking a bite. She stared at it, and felt her vision blurring. She blinked quickly, her throat closing up as she tried to fend off tears. "I was so close today, Mum. I heard it, I heard the TARDIS – if I had been just a little bit earlier – "

She cut herself off as her tears began to spill over, pushing her food away from her and wiping at her eyes furiously. Jackie reached a hand across the table, laying it on Rose's shoulder.

"I know, sweetheart, I know," Jackie said. Tony glanced up from the floor and frowned when he realized Rose was crying.

He made up his mind and turned back to his blank letter to Father Christmas. He wrote as quickly as he could, scribbling down what he wanted. When he was satisfied with his work, he grabbed the paper and stood up, shuffling over to his sister. He scrambled into her lap, hugging her tight.

"Don't be sad, Rose," he said. "The Doctor will come back. I know he will. See? I asked Father Christmas."

Tony shoved his letter into Rose's hands, and her mouth fell open. She blinked at him through her tears, then glanced down at the letter. Sure enough, in green crayon, he'd written:

 _Dear Father Christmas –_

 _Please bring back the Doctor for my sister Rose, because I want her to be happy._

 _From, Tony_

Rose's breath hitched and her heart swelled as she read the words. She clutched her brother into a tighter hug, reading the letter again. His handwriting was messy, but he'd spelled all the words right. When she tilted her head to look at him, his eyes were bright and hopeful. A warm feeling blossomed in her chest.

"Will you help me send it to the North Pole?" he asked her. Rose nodded, running her hands through his hair. Her smile widened.

"Yeah," she said. "Yeah, I'll help you send it."

She pressed a kiss to Tony's forehead and he smiled.

/

The next year, it was the Doctor that helped him address the envelope, Rose watching them with a soft smile.


	4. Chapter 4

The holiday rush at Henrik's was never easy to deal with, Rose knew, but her day had been downright awful. She'd been yelled at by mean old ladies, and the mothers that came into the shop never paid enough attention to their kids, who wrecked the displays without a second thought. She desperately tried to love the Christmas season, but it was difficult when her job got too stressful.

She was reorganizing a table of jewelry for the seventh time in her shift when she was tapped on the shoulder. Biting back a sigh, she put on her best customer service smile and turned around.

"Can I help you?" Rose asked.

She was met with the confused gaze of a rather attractive man – he was fit, but skinny, with spiked up hair and sideburns. She smiled when her eyes fell to his feet, adorned with a pair of dirty white converse that didn't quite matched his pinstriped suit, but worked with the ensemble anyway.

"Hi – yes, um," he stumbled over his words. "Where can I find some Christmas jumpers?"

Rose offered him a more genuine smile, hoping to make him less nervous. He was adorable. She blushed a bit at her own thought.

"Come on, I'll show you," she said, nodding to her left. "They're over this way."

She led him to a table, piled high with various colorful sweaters, all rather festive.

"Brilliant!" the man said, grabbing one off of the pile and holding it up to himself. It was a red sweater with a large green tree on it, adorned with lights and a star that actually lit up when you pressed a button on the side. He dug his way through the colorful fabrics, picking out at least seven. He gathered them into his arms as Rose watched on, amused and intrigued.

"You must really like Christmas," she said, trying her best not to laugh. He looked positively barmy, his arms overflowing and his hair sticking up everywhere, a manic grin plastered on his face.

"Something like that," he said. "Thank you for your help – uh, what was your name?"

"Rose Tyler."

"Rose Tyler," the man repeated. "Brilliant name, rolls right off the tongue. Anyways – thank you, Rose."

Her cheeks colored as he winked at her, before walking away toward the register. She watched him go, feeling slightly flustered. She couldn't help the smirk that grew on her face and the fleeting thought that crossed her mind.

"Nice bum," she mumbled aloud, and her eyes widened in surprise. She clasped her hand over her own mouth, glancing around to be sure that no one heard, and quickly turned back to the display to reorganize the slightly rumpled sweaters.

/

She saw him again the next week, rifling through the same display of sweaters, picking out more of them. He was wearing the same pinstriped suit as before, but his converse were a different color – red. An attempt to be more festive, she supposed. She watched him from the register that she was working, frequently glancing in his direction as she helped other customers.

When he finally approached the register with his new pile of clothes, dropping it with an almost annoyed huff onto the counter, she smiled at him. His eyes brightened a bit when he looked up at her.

"Rose Tyler!" he said, and her heart skipped a beat – he'd remembered her name.

"Blimey," Rose said. "Really trying to get into the spirit, aren't you?"

The man smiled sheepishly, rubbing his neck. His cheeks colored slightly, and Rose bit her lip. It really was cute.

She began ringing up his purchases, looking away from him before she had any more embarrassing thoughts.

"I sort of, ehm, lost a bet with a coworker," he said. "And now I need to wear Christmas sweaters for the rest of the month. Until the holiday. And apparently, I'm not allowed to wear the same one twice."

"What sort of bet?"

"Well, you see, Jack – that's my coworker, see, he's having a Christmas party next weekend, and he bet me that I couldn't find a date before our other friend, Martha, and she blew me out of the water, unfortunately."

"Well, Christmas jumpers, that's not so bad," Rose offered. "Tis the season, and all that."

"I'd rather wear my suit," he mumbled. She grinned at him.

He looked slightly embarrassed, and Rose giggled a bit as she finished bagging his items. He handed over cash and she counted out his change carefully before handing it back to him. A small line had begun to form behind him.

"You know," she said quickly, in a sudden bout of courage, "I'm off next weekend. If you're still looking for a date to that party."

His mouth opened and closed with surprise, and he smiled widely after a moment and nodded. She handed him his bag shyly.

"What time do you get off tonight?" he asked.

"I'm here until six," she said.

"Brilliant. I'll pick you up, we can get chips?"

"Sounds great," she said. He started to walk away, beaming like an idiot, and she called after him.

"What's your name?"

He turned around, his converse squeaking against the tile floor.

"James Noble. I'll see you tonight, Rose Tyler."

He winked before he walked away, and Rose turned back to the line of customers with a smile on her face.


	5. Chapter 5

"I can't believe you did that!" Donna exclaimed, looking around with terrified wonder at the flakes of snow that floated down from the sky. Rose stepped closer to the Doctor and shivered, wrapping her hands around his arm and leaning against him. He felt her smile against his shoulder. When he glanced down at her face, she was also looking up at the sky, her eyes wide.

"Oh, basic atmospheric excitation," he shrugged, but his tone was smug.

"Merry Christmas," Donna said, with a bit of a disbelieving laugh. Rose turned her head to the ginger woman and smiled softly.

"Merry Christmas," she said, a hint of sadness in her tone. The Doctor shifted to wrap his arm around her shoulders, his hand stroking through her hair. He knew she was thinking of her mother, of this first holiday she would spend without her family.

"What'll you do now?" the Doctor asked Donna, changing the subject.

"Not getting married, for starters. And I'm not going to temp anymore. I don't know. Travel. See a bit more of planet Earth. Walk in the dust. Just go out there and do something."

"You could come with us," Rose said. She looked up at the Doctor. "She could, couldn't she?"

"If you want," the Doctor said easily, glancing down at Rose quickly before his gaze returned to Donna. She shook her head.

"No. I can't," she said, and Rose frowned, but she and the Doctor both nodded. The Doctor's arm tightened around Rose's shoulders, a simple comfort after the long day they'd had. He knew they could probably use the time to themselves anyway. They'd come too close to losing each other, and it still weighed on him.

"I'll tell you what I will do, though," Donna said. "Christmas dinner. Oh, come on."

The Doctor glanced down at Rose, who tensed up. He knew what she was thinking – she didn't want to say no, but she wanted to be alone. Too much had happened, too recently, and they weren't ready for celebrating.

"Thank you for the offer, Donna, but I don't think we're up for the celebrations this year," the Doctor said gently. "Have a lovely Christmas, though, for the two of us."

Donna nodded, unsurprised by the answer. The Doctor turned to unlock the TARDIS doors, and Rose stepped toward Donna with her arms outstretched. The women shared a tight hug.

"It was so lovely to meet you, Donna. I'm sorry about everything that went wrong."

"I'm sorry about your mother," Donna said. Rose pulled back and stepped toward the Doctor, with a soft thanks.

The Doctor's hand fell to the small of her back as she stepped inside the ship, and he turned to wave at Donna before following her. The door fell shut behind him with a quiet click.

Rose shuffled past the console, plopping down in the jump seat. She stared at the console silently. The Doctor threw the TARDIS into the Vortex, letting the ship float in space. When he turned back to sit with Rose, she had tears running down her cheeks.

"Rose?" he asked softly, reaching out to touch her. He laid a hand on her shoulder and she choked back a sob, pulling herself into his arms. He returned her embrace, kissing her temple and rubbing circles against the back of her shirt, willing her to calm down.

"I'm sorry," she said, her voice muffled into his jacket. "It's just – it's Christmas, and I've never had Christmas without Mum before, and I can't – "

"Shh," he said, running a hand through her hair. "I know."

She sniffled and leaned back, allowing him to look at her face. Her makeup was smudged around her eyes, and he wiped away the tear tracks from the apples of her cheeks.

"We'll just have a quiet night in," he said. "I'll make us some hot cocoa, and we can watch the Muppet Christmas movie and cuddle on the sofa, okay? It'll be a new tradition."

She nodded.

"Thank you," she whispered.

She pressed a tiny kiss to the corner of his mouth, and when she pulled back, there was a tiny smile on her face. She took his hand as she slid off of the jump seat, and he laced their fingers together.

They set themselves up in the media room, the Doctor in the corner of the couch with his feet up on the table and Rose sprawled out sideways with her head in his lap. He played with her hair throughout the movie, plaiting it and unplaiting it, occasionally sipping on his cocoa. She absentmindedly traced patterns on his knee.

They didn't pay much attention to the film, absorbed in just being together. When Rose drifted off to sleep, the Doctor stayed awake and watched her for a long while, thanking the universe that she was here with him for another Christmas, and wishing she could be there for all of his Christmases to come.


	6. Chapter 6

It was Christmas Eve, damn it, and she just wanted to go home.

She'd said as much to the lady at the help desk, who apologized without really meaning it, reciting whatever script she'd been given and offering Rose a meal voucher for the time being.

Feeling slightly bad for getting snappy with the airport employees, Rose dragged her suitcase over to the window and stared out into the night, scowling at the flurrying snowstorm that was preventing her from going home. She felt her eyes prick with frustrated tears as she pulled out her mobile. She still had service, she realized, and she quickly pressed the first button on her speed dial.

"Hello?"

"James," she said, and at the sound of his voice, her restraint broke. She started to cry, knowing she looked absolutely barmy in the middle of the airport, but she just wanted to go home and see him, and why did this have to happen now?

"Rose, love, what's wrong?" James asked immediately, already riled up with a panicked concern.

"They've cancelled all the flights," she managed to say, her voice thick with tears. "The storm is too bad. I just want to come home, I _miss_ you…"

"What?" he gasped, and she could hear the disappointment in his voice.

"I miss you," she repeated, sniffling. "I miss you so much and I just want to hug you so bad, and I _hate_ the winter – "

"Rose, sweetheart, listen to me," he said, and she latched onto the calmness of his voice, trying to take deep breaths. "I miss you too. And you'll get home. The storm will blow over eventually, and it might take a day or two, but you _will_ get home."

She took a trembling breath and wiped the wetness from her cheeks.

"I know. You're right."

"I love you," he said. Her heart swelled, the same way it always did when he told her he loved her, and she cursed the weather again, wishing she could kiss him.

"I love you too," she told him, turning away from the window and plopping down in the nearest chair. She let out a long breath, suddenly exhausted from her frustration. "Tell Donna I said hello, yeah?"

"Of course."

"I should probably call my mum," she said, biting her lower lip. "Let her know what's going on."

"Yeah," James said softly. "You should."

"I love you, James."

"I'll see you soon, Rose. Don't be afraid to call me again if you get lonely. I love you."

She hung up the phone with a dejected sigh and settled back in her chair, preparing for a long night.

/

When she woke in the morning, her back was stiff, and she winced as she stood from the uncomfortable airport chair and stretched. Glancing out the window, the storm didn't look as bad as the night before, but when she went to the help desk to ask for an update, they informed her that the planes weren't ready to fly because they needed to clear the runways.

Returning to her chair reluctantly, she checked her phone. It was nearly eleven, and she found messages from several of her friends to wish her a happy Christmas. James had texted her a few minutes before.

 _Merry Christmas, love. I'll see you soon._

Rose frowned, her heart sinking in her chest.

 _Still not ready to fly,_ she responded. _I'm stuck here for a while longer._

She tucked her phone back into her pocket and leaned forward, her elbows on her knees and her face in her hands. She rubbed the sleep from her eyes and sighed.

"Long night?" someone asked, and immediately, her head snapped up. Her jaw fell open.

"James," she whispered, feeling tears prick behind her eyes. He smiled softly at her as she stood up.

"They had the roads cleared early this morning," he said. "So I thought I'd come get you."

"You drove here? That's nearly five hours!"

"I wanted to see you," he said simply, and in three strides, she was throwing her arms around his neck. His arms settled around her waist, pulling her snugly against him. She started to laugh, almost deliriously, and happy tears sprung from her eyes.

"Merry Christmas, Rose," James said. She pulled back from their hug to cup his face in her hands. She offered him a blinding smile and kissed him happily. He hummed in response, his arms tightening as he clutched her close.

"Merry Christmas," she whispered when he pulled back for air, resting their foreheads against one another.

"Let's go home," he said, and she smiled again, lacing her fingers through his.

"You're already here," she said. He ducked his head, his cheeks flushing at her words, and she leaned up to press a kiss to his cheek. He turned and caught her lips instead.

"I love you," he murmured. He reached for her suitcase with his left hand, pulling it along with him. He held out his right, dangling his fingers, and Rose wrapped her arm around his, resting her head on his shoulder as they walked to his car, wondering how she ever got lucky enough to find a man like James – a walking Christmas miracle.


	7. Chapter 7

"Rose, Rose, Rose. My Rose. Pretty Rose."

Rose narrowed her eyes up at the Doctor. Her cheeks felt hot, from the heat of her Christmas sweater, or the slight embarrassment, or the eggnog that Jack had definitely spiked with ginger beer. She'd only had one glass though, she should have been fine. But maybe she was more intoxicated than she thought.

"Am I that smashed?" she asked aloud. "That I'm hallucinating? You've never called me pretty before."

Jack stumbled up to them, clearly drunk. He laughed, a man he'd met at the party hanging off his arm. Christmas music blared through the speakers around them, drunk people singing along merrily.

"You're not smashed, Rose," he said. "The Doctor is."

"He can't get drunk," Rose said, crossing her arms. Her brow furrowed as she looked more closely at the Doctor, noticing the slight haziness in his half-lidded eyes and the laziness of the smile that crossed his face. "Hang on – you're drunk!"

"Jack spiked the eggnog," he grumbled, an adorable frown crossing his face.

"Yeah, I know," she said. "With ginger beer."

The Doctor nodded and gestured enthusiastically.

"Exactly," he said, his words slurring slightly. " _Ginger_ beer. Inhibits the enzymes that metabolize alcohol. But I didn't know. So I'm drunk. A bit."

Rose's eyes widened as he whined on.

"A bit," she said skeptically. "How much did you have, then?"

"Seven," he said dramatically.

"Seven," Rose repeated. "You drank _seven_ glasses of eggnog? How can you even stomach that much eggnog? _No one_ likes eggnog that much."

"I do," he pouted. "I love eggnog. I love lots of things. I love space and the TARDIS. I love Rose."

Rose froze.

"You what?"

"I love Rose," he repeated.

"You love Rose?" she said breathlessly, her heart pounding. She searched his face, his expression open and honest.

"'Course I do," he said. "She's my best mate, in the whole wide universe."

Rose stopped, her heart sinking a bit. She was just being foolish. He loved her as a friend, nothing more. Even still, she smiled a bit and tilted her head at him.

"You're my best friend too, you daft Time Lord," she said, but she wasn't sure if he heard. She tugged on his arm, and he fell forward, barely catching his balance. "Let's get you back to the TARDIS before you do anything embarrassing, yeah? I don't want you to kill Jack in the morning."

He stumbled along beside her as they stepped away from the party and into the street. The cold air felt refreshing against Rose's too-hot cheeks. The Doctor laced their fingers together as they walked to the TARDIS, parked just down the block and around the corner. He rambled all the way, even more talkative than he was when he was sober.

"You're going to kill Jack in the morning," Rose said conversationally, sticking her key into the TARDIS lock when the Doctor appeared too uncoordinated to do so.

"I think you're right," he said. "I don't like being drunk. Do you know, Rose, I haven't been drunk in…"

He trailed off, looking thoughtful. They stepped into the TARDIS.

"…three hundred and seventy-two years," the Doctor finished. Rose smirked. He would have a killer hangover the next morning, if that was the case.

"Maybe we should take you to bed," she said. His eyes widened.

"Take me to bed?" he squeaked. Rose's jaw dropped and she blushed furiously.

"Blimey! Get your head out of the gutter!"

"Right," the Doctor said, shaking his head. Rose's eyes widened at the disappointment in his voice. He started to make his way down the corridor, his footsteps heavy. Rose stared after him for a shocked moment before following.

"Hang on – does that – have you – "

The Doctor turned and looked at her expectantly, waiting for her to stutter her way to the end of her sentence. Her face flushed even more than it already was.

"Have you thought about going to bed with me? Like – like that?"

"Yes," he said simply.

"God, you really are smashed. You would never say that to me if – "

"I wouldn't say it, but I think it. All the time. Your mouth really is very distracting, Rose and – would you be terribly angry with me if I kissed you right now?"

She hesitated.

"Are you going to regret it in the morning? Are you even going to _remember_ this in the morning?"

"Of course I'll remember it," he said, rolling his eyes. "I may be a bit intoxicated, Rose, but I'm still a Time Lord."

"Oh, shut it."

She fell silent as he stepped closer to her, smiling.

"So may I kiss you?"

"Why?" she asked, her voice small. "Why me?"

"Because I love you, and I'd really like to."

"Okay," she breathed, and his mouth met hers in a chaste kiss that was over far too quickly.

"That was nice," the Doctor said happily when he pulled back. "More than nice. Brilliant. Can we do that all the time, Rose?"

"Let's discuss that when you're sober," she said softly. "Go to bed."

"Will you stay with me?"

"Are you sure – "

"Please?"

"Okay."

/

The next morning, Jack dragged himself back to the TARDIS with a throbbing headache, ready to collapse in his bed and sleep off his hangover. But when he stumbled past the Doctor's open bedroom door and saw him curled up with Rose beneath the covers, he couldn't help but stop and watch them (and maybe snap a few pictures). A sly smile crossed his face and he muttered to himself.

"It's about damn time."


	8. Chapter 8

It was just her luck, she supposed, that she would end up in the emergency room on Christmas Eve. She'd gone out with Mickey and Shareen, that morning, and she'd _told_ them she didn't want to ice skate, but had they listened?

And then – _then_ they'd brought her to the hospital and left her there. Alone. Because they had family dinners to get to. And her mum was entertaining people at their own flat, so she couldn't come to keep her company either. Overall, she was having a rather dreadful Christmas experience so far.

Until the doctor stepped into the room.

She straightened when he entered, as much as she could with her legs stretched out on the observation table in front of her. She shifted uncomfortably, wishing she could cross her ankles, but knowing that it would only make the pain worse.

"Hello," he said brightly. He squinted at her paperwork for a brief moment. "Merry Christmas…Miss Tyler. I'm Dr. Noble, but please, call me John."

"Hi," she squeaked, a flushing deeply. He was attractive. Properly attractive, tall and lanky, with his swishy long white coat and his spiky brown hair. When he slipped on a pair of glasses to read her paperwork, she nearly swooned.

Suddenly, she felt awfully self-conscious, crossing her arms over her chest awkwardly. Her makeup was a disaster from the big cry she'd had earlier, her hair was a mess, and her ankle was still throbbing. He smiled at her, though, and she returned the gesture nervously.

"How are you?" he asked. She raised an eyebrow.

"Been better," she grumbled. He offered her a cheeky grin.

"I'm sure. I've just taken a look at your x-rays, though, and good news! You ankle's not broken!"

He was incredibly cheerful – _too_ cheerful, Rose thought for a brief moment.

"'S sprained, then?" she asked, exasperated.

"Just a bit. You'll be right as rain in about three weeks, I reckon," he said. "Let me take a look at that foot of yours."

"Um, okay," she said, and he reached for her left foot. His long, nimble fingers were cold against her skin, and she shivered and winced as he prodded gently.

"Sorry," he said, glancing up at her when she shifted. "It is just a sprain. Let me guess – ice skating incident?"

She blushed, ducking her head.

"I'm sure you get lots of those this time of year, yeah?"

"A few," he teased. "We'll just need to get you fitted with a boot."

Rose was unable to hold back her frustrated sigh, her hands coming up to rub her eyes.

"I just want to go home," she groaned. "It's Christmas!"

"I know," he said sympathetically, and she looked back at him. He really did look sorry for her.

"I'm sorry," she said after a moment. "You don't want to be here either, do you? I'm sure you've got a family to go home too."

"Just my sister, Donna," he said, standing up. "We're not big on the holidays, and I really don't mind the work. I love my job. I like helping people."

"Well, thanks. I appreciate it," she said honestly. His cheeks colored a bit, and she bit her lip.

"You're welcome, Miss Tyler," he said.

"Call me Rose, please," she said. A soft smile crossed his face.

"Alright," he agreed, "Rose. I'll be right back – I'll grab a cast for you and we'll send you on your merry way, and you can put this eventful holiday behind you."

She watched him leave the room, shamelessly ogling his behind. When he was out of sight, she pulled out her phone. She bit her lip as she considered who she could call to take her home. She was still scrolling through her contacts when Dr. Noble returned, with a black boot that would hold her foot in place as it healed.

"Here we are, then," he said cheerfully. He approached the observation table, reaching for her foot. "This might hurt a bit, while we get you situated. I'm sorry. I'll write you a prescription for some pain meds, though."

"Thanks," she said, wincing as he set her foot in place and secured the straps on the cast. She glanced back down at her phone, considering whether she was desperate enough to call Jimmy Stone to pick her up. He'd jump at the opportunity to get on her good side.

"Okay?" he asked, when he was finished with his work.

"Yeah," she said. "Um, do you have the number for the nearest taxi service? I haven't got a way to get home."

"You're here alone?" he repeated, almost incredulously. She nodded, frowning.

"My friends dropped me off – but they had, um, Christmas things to get to, and my mum has people over our flat, so she can't leave…"

"I'll take you home," he offered, and she flushed a bit with embarrassment.

"No, really, I can just – "

"Rose, please. I'm in charge here, and we aren't very busy right now, so it won't be hard to get someone to cover for me. I won't have you stumbling out of her on crutches all by yourself and slipping on the ice."

Rose watched Dr. Noble as he spoke, her heart warming with his genuine care.

"Are you sure?" she asked, her voice small.

"One hundred percent," he assured her. "Just give me a moment to let Rory know he's in charge for the next forty-five minutes, and we'll be off."

"Thank you so much, Dr. Noble," she said quickly. "Really, I – "

"James," he interrupted. "I'm off the clock now. Just a friend taking you home. Some of my friends do call me 'the Doctor', though…"

"Thank you, James," she said. He smiled at her.

"It's my pleasure, Rose Tyler," he said.

He disappeared from the room again, and she texted her mother quickly. Then she looked up, her eyes drifting over the table nearest to her. There was a pad of sticky notes just within her reach, and she grabbed a pen from her purse to scribble her number on it.

/

She left a sticky note with her number on it in his car, after he dropped her off. An hour later, he texted her.

 _Merry Christmas, Rose._ _Don't take this the wrong way, but I'm glad you twisted your ankle this morning._

She smiled as she typed out her response.

 _Me, too._


	9. Chapter 9

He wasn't used to the cold, yet.

The Doctor had never needed to wear sweaters and hats and mittens before, and felt like he looked a bit silly as he looked himself over in the mirror, frowning at his new human biology.

When Rose walked into the room, though, a soft smile crossed his face. It was worth it, he knew. He'd only had her back for three days, and they were three of the best days of his life. The domesticity terrified him, though, afraid he would do something or say something to screw it all up. Scared he would wake up one day and realize that this was all just a dream.

"Are you okay?" she asked him, pulling him from his thoughts. She walked up to him and brushed her hand against his shoulder, and he leaned back into her touch. He could feel the warmth of her hand, even through his many layers of clothes.

"More than okay," he said, and her smile widened. "Brilliant."

She was bundled up as well, in a puffy gray coat. She wore a large hat on her head that matched, with a bright pink pom-pom on the top of it. Her scarf was that same shade of pink, and her cheeks were already rosy, and he averted his eyes from her distracting tongue that poked between her teeth.

They hadn't kissed since the beach. They'd held hands, and hugged, and fallen back into their familiar routine – the way things had been before everything had gone wrong. He knew she loved him, and she knew he loved her, and that was enough, for now.

But he did catch her staring, sometimes, her gaze flicking up from his lips to his eyes when he glanced at her. The same way her eyes were drifting now, before she turned away and grabbed a scarf off of the dresser. She wrapped it around his neck carefully, tucking it inside his coat.

"Are you ready to go, then?" she asked him, and he nodded, reaching for her hand. She latched on to him automatically, wrapping her fingers around his since her mittens prevented them from linking their fingers.

He'd been holding her hand as much as possible, since he got her back. He'd gone too long without her touch. Anxiety swelled in his chest whenever she even stepped into a separate room – she was his anchor, in this unfamiliar world.

He shivered when they stepped outside of the house and a gust of cold wind brushed past his face, the air stinging his cheeks. His grip on Rose's hand tightened.

"Blimey – why are we going out?" he grumbled, already wishing they were back inside, cuddling on the couch under a warm blanket. "I don't know how you humans do it."

"I haven't been food shopping," Rose reminded him as they walked from her house to her car. "And – well – we need to get a Christmas tree."

"A Christmas tree?" the Doctor repeated, stopping in his tracks.

"Yeah. December's halfway over, already, and we haven't got a tree."

"Why didn't you get one sooner?' he asked.

"I didn't think I would need to," she said honestly. "I wasn't exactly planning to stick around for the holidays."

The Doctor stopped in his tracks, his heart sinking in his chest. She still wanted the other him, to be bouncing around the cosmos in her home universe. Rose's brow furrowed, and she turned around, staring at him expectantly.

"I'm sorry," he said softly after a moment. "I know that this – I know that _I'm_ not what you were expecting, and I'm not very good at domestic life – "

"Hey, no, that's not what I meant," she said quickly, her gloved hand coming up to cup his face. He nuzzled his slightly scruffy cheek against the soft fabric. "That's not what I meant at all."

"Still," he started to say, and she held a finger in front of his mouth. He fell silent at her command and waited for her to speak.

"I love you," she said. His lone heart skipped in his chest.

"I love you too," he whispered.

"I love being here with you," she said. "I love that you're here, that you stayed. That we have a life that we can share together. I loved seeing the stars with you, I loved the travelling. But I love you more than all that, yeah? I always have."

His heart warmed as she spoke, overwhelmed with relief and happiness and _love_ for the beautiful pink and yellow human in front of him. His arms wrapped around her waist – she was his, finally, and he was done denying himself.

When he leaned forward and captured her lips with his, she let out a contented sigh. Her hands came up to his chest, resting over his single heart, as he pulled her closer to him.

It was a brief kiss, only lasting a moment before he pulled back. When he opened his eyes, she was smiling up at him, and he grinned back down at her, watching their warm breath mingle in the cold air.

"Let's go get our Christmas tree, yeah?" Rose said, her hand trailing down his chest until it found his. He nodded.

"Oh, yes."

/

Later that night, they sat cuddled on the couch, the room luminated only by the rainbow fairy lights that were draped over the tree branches. The Doctor pulled Rose closer to him, pressed a kiss to her lips, and tucked her hair behind her ear.

Domestic life wouldn't be so bad, he decided.


	10. Chapter 10

"I bought you a sweater," Rose said, jumping with excitement the moment she returned to the TARDIS. Her grin was mischievous as she tugged a red jumper out of her shopping bag. "I saw it while I was out with Mum, and it made me think of you."

The Doctor eyed his companion with suspicion.

"Let me see," he said cautiously. Normally, her excitement would fuel his own, but the glint in her eyes told him that she was up to something. She held out the jumper to him and he unfolded it to hold up in front of him.

"Rose Tyler!" he exclaimed, his brow furrowing. She broke into gales of laughter at his offended tone, and even the TARDIS's hum indicated her own amusement. The corners of his lips twitched, and it took all of the Doctor's control to keep himself from grinning at her.

"Look, I got me one too!" Rose said, pulling herself together. She grabbed another jumper out of her bag. She held it up to him. The Doctor frowned at his red sweater that read _NAUGHTY_ in bold letters. Rose's was green, and it said _NICE_ in a delicate, swirly font.

"Rose Tyler, I will have you know, I am _not_ on the naughty list," the Doctor said. "And why are you so sure that you're on the nice list?"

"Because I am," she said confidently. "You're too rude to be on the nice list."

"Oi!" the Doctor protested. "You're no better!"

"I am too," she teased, pulling the jumper over her head. It was too big for her, the sleeves a bit too long, covering the tips of her fingers. She smoothed it out, running her hands down her sides.

She did look rather adorable, the Doctor had to admit, drowning in the oversized jumper with bright eyes and flushed cheeks. He couldn't help teasing her.

"Father Christmas would disagree," the Doctor said, crossing his arms.

"No he wouldn't," Rose said smugly. "I am on the nice list. Have been my whole life."

"Well maybe we should go and ask him, shouldn't we?"

Rose rolled her eyes dramatically even as she giggled. She sobered up a bit though when she noticed that he was busy typing away, setting coordinates on the console.

"You're joking, aren't you?" she said, still smiling. When the Doctor glanced up at her and raised an eyebrow, her mouth fell open a bit.

"You're kidding around. There's no such thing as Father Christmas," she said, but she couldn't help the uncertain note of her voice.

"Guess we're going to find out, aren't we?" the Doctor said, yanking down on the lever that sent them flying through the vortex. Rose stumbled forward, gripping the edge of the console before she could hit the ground.

"You're kidding," she said again.

The Doctor winked and laughed just as the TARDIS landed. He reached for his coat, slipping it on as he walked toward the door. Rose shouted after him as he walked away.

"Doctor. You _are_ kidding, aren't you?"


	11. Chapter 11

Rose blinked away slowly and snuggled into the warm body behind her. When she felt the Doctor's arms tighten around her waist, and his smile pressed against her forehead, she knew he was awake. Her fingers danced along his forearm, signaling that she was, too.

"Merry Christmas, love," he whispered, his voice hoarse from sleep. She turned herself around in his arms so she could look at him and pulled the blankets up closer to their shoulders, burying them in the fluffy duvet.

"Merry Christmas," she replied, tilting her head up. He immediately caught on to what she wanted and pressed his lips to hers. She hummed contentedly when his hands drifted up and down her sides, sending pleasant shivers through her body. She pulled away after a moment and smiled brilliantly at him, a warm glow settling itself in her chest.

"I'm very comfortable right now," she informed him. "And I think we should stay here all day."

"I wish we could," the Doctor said, his eyes drifting shut when her lips fell to his neck, pressing kisses in a line from his adam's apple to the sensitive spot just beneath his ear. "Rose, love, if you keep doing that, we really will stay here all day. And I don't think your mother would be too happy with me."

"No, she wouldn't," Rose agreed, releasing him and settling back into her pillow. The Doctor shifted closer to her, laying his head on the pillow beside hers and draping an arm over her stomach. He nuzzled her cheek.

"I love you," he said, and her heart fluttered. She was suddenly all too aware of the weight of his arm on her abdomen, reminding her of what she was going to tell him this morning.

"I love you too," she said, reaching for his hand with both of hers. She played with his fingers absentmindedly, turning her head to look at him.

"I need to tell you something," she whispered, because if she spoke any louder, she would choke on her words. His brow furrowed slightly, and she knew he saw the way her eyes were beginning to water. He was concerned – she didn't ever keep things from him.

"What is it?" he asked softly. He took his hand back from her to brush her hair away from her face. A gentle smile crossed her face as his fingers continued to comb through her curls. He waited patiently, looking in her eyes until she collected herself enough to speak.

"We're having a baby," Rose whispered finally, and his fingers stilled in her hair. His mouth fell open a bit, and she sensed the sudden tension in his body, pressed so closely to hers. She lifted a hand to stroke along his jaw, attempting to soothe him.

"We're having a baby?" he repeated, unable to suppress the hopeful note in his voice. "Are you – are you sure?"

When she nodded, he let out a gasping sound, somewhere between a laugh and a sob. He sat up and gathered her into his lap, burying his face in her neck.

"Hey," she said, feeling the wetness of his tears on her neck. Nervously, she ran her fingers through his hair, an action that always comforted him. She hadn't expected a reaction like this. "Shh, it's okay, love, it's okay."

When the Doctor pulled back to cup her cheeks, a wide smile crossed his face. They were happy tears, she realized with a jolt, and she smiled back.

"Rose," he breathed, an almost delirious giggle catching in the back of his throat. His hands drifted down until they rested on her stomach. She laid her hands over his.

"You're gonna be such a good dad," she said, and his eyes widened.

"A baby," he said, staring at her. "We're having a baby."

Rose smiled even wider, her tongue teasing between her teeth.

"So, you like your Christmas present, then?" she asked. The Doctor laughed, then, and reached up for Rose's face, dragging her lips down to his where they met in a thorough kiss. He pushed her back into the pillows, propping himself up above her.

"I love you," he told her. His voice was thick with emotion, and the bare honesty of his words made her hands tremble against his chest. "You, Rose Tyler, have given me back everything I thought I would never have again, and I still wake up and can't believe how lucky I've been – "

His voice cracked, and she felt her own tears streaming down her cheeks, then. He wiped them away with the pads of his thumbs.

"Forever," she whispered. "You and me and our baby. Forever."


	12. Chapter 12

It was popping up everywhere, and he couldn't figure out why. There was literally mistletoe all over his ship.

The Doctor reached up and tore the dangling sprig of leaves from the door of the TARDIS kitchen, huffing. Where was it all coming from? He'd seen some above his bathroom door that morning, and then ripped it off of Rose's door frame when he passed by her door.

When he reached into the cabinets for tea bags, there was more attached to the insides of the cabinet doors. On a hunch, he went to inspect the fridge – and sure enough, he found several bunches of mistletoe sat atop the milk carton.

He sighed again and collected them, tossing them in the trash just as Rose stepped into the room, still looking quite sleepy. Her hair was mussed and her shirt was falling off of one shoulder, displaying her smooth bare skin. She wore fuzzy slippers that squeaked softly against the linoleum floor.

"Morning," she said with a sleepy smile.

"Morning," he replied, grinning at her – but the smile dropped right off his face when she stepped closer to him and stood up on her tiptoes to press a quick kiss to his lips.

It was over quickly – far too quickly, in the Doctor's opinion. He didn't even have a chance to respond before she pulled away and went for the fridge to pull out a carton of orange juice. He sputtered for a moment, his face turning red as he to find words, and Rose smirked at him.

"What?" he finally managed, his eyes practically bugging out of his head.

"There's mistletoe on the ceiling," she said, grinning wickedly. Her eyes flickered to a spot just above his head, and sure enough, there was a little green plant suspended in the air by a red shiny ribbon. It was too far away for him to reach up and tear it down, so he swallowed his remaining dignity and walked over to Rose.

Her smirk dissipated at the intent look on his face, and it was his turn to smile as he dragged her lips back to his.

He half-acknowledged the smug humming of the TARDIS in the background, knowing that this was all probably the doing of his interfering ship. But at the moment, he couldn't quite bring himself to care.


	13. Chapter 13

It struck him for the first time when he saw her dancing in the snow.

She was wearing his long scarf, from lifetimes ago, the ends brushing against the frozen ground. When she laughed, she exhaled softly, and he could see it in clouds in front of them as she dragged him along through the white piles. She let go of his hand to twirl around, sticking out her tongue to catch the flakes of ice from the air.

"This is brilliant!" she said happily. Her wide smile made him feel warm, despite the freezing temperatures. He couldn't stop from smiling back at her, and that was when he knew.

He was hopelessly in love with Rose Tyler.

The Doctor stopped in his tracks as the thought crossed his mind, and he watched the human in front of him. Warm, and soft, and beautiful, and how could he not love her?

He could never tell her, of course. He could show her. He could hold her hand, and dance with her through the stars and the snow, and maybe, just maybe, that would be enough.

She blushed under his gaze, and he knew she'd caught him staring. The pink tinge on her cheeks made her even prettier, her flushed skin in stark contrast to the white landscape.

"Doctor?" she said softly.

He _could_ tell her. He could throw all of his rules to the wind, right now, in this moment, and god, he wanted to more than anything. He tried to think of every reason why he shouldn't. He would outlive her by centuries, he was old and broken, he didn't deserve her.

He didn't care.

He stepped forward, cupping her cheeks in his hands, and her warm breath ghosted over his face as he leaned closer. Her hands pressed against his chest, hesitantly, and gripped the material of his jacket.

"Doctor?" she whispered, tilting her head.

"I love you," he said.

She kissed him, then, pulling his lips down to hers, and he wondered why he hadn't told her sooner. But at least now she knew. And as his lips moved against hers, he decided he would make the most of this while he could. For the rest of her forever.


	14. Chapter 14

Rose's sigh of exasperation echoed through the empty library as she browsed the shelf for the physics reference book that she needed to study for her final exam. She still had a few days to finish it, but she was drowning in all kinds of work. Art History papers and Literature revisions weighed heavily on her shoulders, but Physics was worrying her the most – her grade was just on the edge of passing, and she desperately needed the science credits this semester.

Her fingers trailed along the spines of the books and her eyes lit up just as she found what she needed. She grasped the top corner of it, ready to pull it off the shelf, when another hand landed just on top of hers.

Letting out a startled yelp, she jumped back, stumbling into the person beside her. Strong arms caught her before she could hit the floor, and she hurriedly scrambled to her feet and took a deep breath to calm her racing heart.

"Sorry," she mumbled. "You scared me."

When she looked up, she felt a hot blush bloom on her cheeks. Oh, god, of course it was him.

James cocked an eyebrow at her, clearly amused, but also concerned.

"Are you okay? It's Rose, isn't it?"

Her face grew even warmer when she realized he knew her name. She'd sat a row behind him in class for months, now, distracted by his thick hair and attractive profile, and oh no, he was staring at her. She needed to say something.

"Um," she stuttered. "Yeah. Rose."

"I thought so," he said brightly, offering her a brilliant grin. "I'm James. We have physics together."

He held out his hand for a shake and she accepted, smiling tentatively.

"Yeah," she said. "Right."

"Are you studying for the final?" he asked. "That's why I'm here, too. Needed the same reference book. I accidentally left mine in the chemistry lab, earlier, and they're locked this late at night, so…"

Rose bit her lip.

"We could…share?" she suggested shyly. Her heart fluttered, nervousness settling in her chest. He probably didn't even want to work around her. She would just be bothersome, and in his way.

"You don't mind?" he asked, vaguely surprised. "You were here first, you can have it if you need it, I can just wait until the morning. I don't want to inconvenience you – "

"I don't mind," she interrupted, and he immediately shut up, looking at her curiously. Her nervous anxiety morphed into something new as butterflies fluttered in her stomach. He was looking at her strangely, wasn't he?

"Thanks," he said finally. "I'm almost finished, anyways, this reference bit is the last thing I need to do. So I'll be out of your hair before long."

She nodded and reached to take the book off the shelf, then gestured toward the table where her notebooks and laptop were set up.

"My things are over there," she said. "If you want to pull up a chair."

As Rose settled back in her chair, she opened up the proper files on her computer and starting thumbing through to the pages she needed. She was hyper-aware of James as she pulled his chair up directly beside hers. His elbow brushed against hers as he set his notebook on the table, filled with scribbled, detailed notes.

They sat in amicable silence as they worked. James' presence still made Rose slightly nervous, but he brain switched gears as she concentrated on the work in front of her. The practice problems were taking her ages to do, and she kept getting the wrong answers. Still, she trudged on with a stubborn determination that would make her mother proud.

After a while, though, the letters and numbers began to swim before her eyes, and she couldn't take it anymore. Time, distance, velocity, acceleration – she couldn't get the formulas straight in her head anymore, and she let out a frustrated groan, dropping her head to the wooden table.

"Um…are you alright, Rose?" James asked, slightly amused. She was too tired and annoyed to even be embarrassed.

"I'm gonna fail this class," she grumbled into the table. "I don't understand any of this. I keep mixing up the formulas and I haven't gotten the right answer on the last seven problems. It's useless."

The stress and panic hit her suddenly, her chest seizing up, and she started to cry. James' eyes widened and he immediately reached out to lay a hand on her shoulder. She leaned into his touch, accepting his comfort, and he tugged her into an awkward, sideways hug.

"Hey, hey, it's okay," he said quickly. "Rose, you're not gonna fail. Come on, look at me, you're going to be fine. I won't _let_ you fail. What don't you understand? I can explain it to you, I promise. Please don't cry, Rose."

"I'm sorry," she said miserably, her voice muffled against his shoulder. "I'm such a mess, I'm sorry."

"Don't be sorry," he said. "Just let me help you."

Rose pulled away with a sniffle, wiping at her eyes.

"Really?" she said hopefully. He nodded, smiling at her. His face was slightly blurry to her still-wet eyes, but she smiled back at him gratefully.

"Come on, then," he said. "Let's get to work."

/

They were together in Rose's dorm when they got their grades back. James, an A, and Rose, a B minus.

He was startled when she pulled him down for a thank-you kiss – the first of many kisses to come.


End file.
